Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett, projected by at least one 2011 NFL mock draft to be the Seattle Seahawks pick, will forgo his senior season and enter the 2011 NFL Draft. Mallett took the winding road to Arkansas, beginning his college career at Michigan before transferring to Arkansas after his freshman year. Projected as a possible first rounder, Mallett declared ahead of the Jan. 15 deadline for early entries in the 2011 NFL Draft.
ESPN's Bruce Feldman reported the news on Twitter Thursday evening.
Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett has announced that he is entering the NFL draft.
Bruce Feldman
BFeldmanESPN
Mallett finished his redshirt junior year at Arkansas completing 64.7 percent of his passes for 3,869 yards, 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He started every game during his two-year tenure with the Razorbacks, finishing as the leading passer in Arkansas history after a 277 yard performance in the Sugar Bowl against Ohio State.
Mallet's decision to enter the 2011 NFL Draft comes on a busy day for quarterback prospects. Earlier on Thursday, Stanford announced quarterback Andrew Luck would not be entering the draft, instead opting to stay in Palo Alto for one more year. Without Luck, the chances of Mallett going early in the first round increased, making the decision easy.